The proposed project attempts to evaluate the effectiveness and economic worth of a self-care education program. The program to be evaluated is focused on giving the parents of young children the practical information, skills, and motivation needed to regain their critical role in the care of common health problems. Unlike similar health education efforts, the subject program is designed for wide replicability and based upon specific measurable objectives which suggest a strong need for the proposed evaluation. The evaluation will include an objective determination of the program's impact on the utilization of physician services for selected diagnoses. The level of such impact will weigh particularly heavily on the documentable economic worth of self-care education to HMO's. Two group practices (one an HMO) will provide the primary setting for the research. Basic program effectiveness will also be evaluated in rural communities and employment settings. Randomly assigned control groups and a variety of direct and indirect measurement techniques will be used in the evaluation. The results will be timely and relevant to the allocation of substantial public and private funds to the support of future health education efforts.